The Barn at Rock Hill Farm Wedding
Barn Wedding “The Cow that brought us together”
Julia and my families have known each other for over 25 years! We grew up going to the same church. The way I picture Julia (and the way she most likely pictures me), will always be a bunch of us “church kids” running around under the overhang playing tag, and hide & seek underneath church pews!
She went to Virginia Tech and studied Agriculture and Applied Economics. Later, she attended veterinary school and upon graduation she was very career focused- not interested in finding love. It always comes when you least expect it, doesn’t it?
One day, she got a call to come care for some cows. She was working in the families barn when the owner told her she needed to meet his son! Julia was not thrilled about “meeting a guy in a barn”, but that’s exactly what happened. Julia and Aaron met and the rest is history.
The Wedding Planning Phase
Julia and Aaron started the search for a wedding venue and eventually deciding upon The Barn at Rock Hill Farm in Culpeper, VA. They loved the idea of tying their own “barn” love story in to the wedding and thought the cows on the farm would provide a fun, subtle nod to the day they met.
She loved the blank canvas the Barn provided and Collis, the owner of the farm, always went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that any questions they had were answered.
Julia is very organized, but felt as though she needed someone who understood the logistics of event execution and also help relieve some stress as she now runs one of her families veterinary clinics, was in the process of renting out her home, and also in the middle of renovations at Aaron’s home. (Busy girl!)
We met several times at Rock Hill Farm, discussed the floor plan of the barn and tent and various ceremony site options and eventually decided upon a ceremony underneath a large tree on the property. I started writing up all the plans- timeline, floor plan, menu and vendor details and the pieces of the puzzle started coming together!
The Unexpected Winter Wedding … in April
The week of the wedding, weather updates started pouring in about a freak snowstorm for the weekend. “Okay”, I thought, “ No problem, we’ll just use our Plan B ceremony plan and make do. Let’s rent some heaters and roll with whatever the weather brings us.”
Then things really started to “snowball” (pun totally intended). A friend of the family who promised to provide and set up the majority of the ceremony and centerpiece decor called to cancel, afraid of the inclement weather. One of the MAJOR vendors almost backed out, but after some convincing, decided to fulfill his duties. Then, poor Girl got word that some testing came back and her dog had cancer! One thing after another and Julia was SO stressed!
Plan B Wedding Ceremony
Luckily, Julia and Aaron’s families, Bridal Party and myself rallied around them the day before the wedding. We hustled to purchase additional florals for the ceremony arch. I was able to gather decor and candles that we used for the staging area and bridesmaids (sister, Mary and Best Friend, Andrea) set up the arch and twinkle lights.
After a very long day of work, everything came together and we ran through the rehearsal and enjoyed dinner together. The Bridesmaids and Groomsmen separated to their individual cabins on the property and relaxed before the big day ahead.
The day of the wedding, everything came together like clockwork. Although it was VERY cold outside and we did get several inches of snow later that evening, the guest count hardly diminished. Luckily, it didn’t start snowing until after the ceremony began! Everyone was able to see Julia and Aaron recite their vows, enjoy the delicious food provided by Clearwater Catering, and dance the night away. Julia and Aaron were photographed with a snowy backdrop, but the cold didn’t hinder them from showing the warmth of their love to all of their friends and family.
Growth and Development
As a wedding professional, it’s situations like this that allow for growth and experience. You learn to roll with the punches, adjust the plans and move forward. At the end of the day, the wedding was a success, family and friends had a wonderful time. Julia and Aaron were happily and the party that night was SO much fun!
Julia and Aaron, thank you so much for allowing me to help plan your special day! I’ve loved getting to know you all over again and being able to reconnect with your family. It is truly about the relationships in our lives that make a wedding day so special and it was an honor to be a part of yours!
